Bleeding Out
by Darkest Original
Summary: The darkness isn't as cold as I thought it would be; it feels like I'm wrapped in a large, soft blanket. If this is dying, then I don't mind it so much. * Sometimes, you do get second chances. When you do, you grab onto them tightly and never let go. No matter what may come. B/D Two-shot
1. Part One

**AN: Hi everyone, I decided to post this two-shot story I have been working on in my spare tme. It is completed now and I hope you all like it. **

**In this part there are a lot of time jumps but I made sure to put both the month, the year and the place on each jump. **

**I based this two-shot on the song _Bleeding Out _by _Imagine Dragons. _Check them out, they are an amazing band.**

**Bella has grown a few more inches and is now about 5' 7" and she has lost the rest of the baby fat on her face. She is now about 25 or 26 years old and lives in New York City on her own.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Vampire Diaries, they both belong to their respective owners and creators. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Bleeding Out**

**Ch.1 – Part One**

The monotonous urban housing finally gives way to the open highway and other cities that I will see for the next countless hours. I sigh softly at the sight and relax as much as I can into the uncomfortable bus seat. I look down at my watch and count the hours until we reach Jacksonville. Probably only maybe six or seven hours left but it seems like it will take forever. Especially since I've already been on different buses for almost ten hours.

I decided to take a bus from New York to visit my mother in Florida so that I can see the scenery a little better than I can from in the air. But now I'm regretting that decision. Thankfully I brought enough work to do while I'm on the ride.

I start humming the next song that comes up on my iPod and turn it up slightly, only barely resisting the urge to sway my head back and forth to the music. But I don't stop my foot from tapping out the beat.

I work at the New York City University as an English professor. I may be a little young but Charlie is extremely proud of me and I'm happy with what I'm doing. I brought a few papers with me to grade during the long bus ride that I plan to get done.

After Edward left me during my senior year of high school I fell into a depression. And the only thing that brought me out of it was music. And not the lovey-dovey songs at first, the ones that are about drinking and partying and dancing the night away. I was brought back to life and I finished high school at the top of my grade.

Charlie was so happy that I was back to my normal self and encouraged me to follow my dreams by going to New York to work on my degree. I met some friends in university but didn't really hang out with people. I mostly stayed inside and worked on projects for different term papers and exams. I finished my degree a year early and then I got a good job right away and moved through the ranks fast enough until I am where I am now.

I hear something beneath the loud bass in my ears and I furrow my eyebrows slightly in thought. It doesn't go away when the song ends so I take out the ear buds and scan the almost empty bus. There is the emo guy that is picking his nose when he thinks no one is looking, the old guy that has been reading the same newspaper for almost three hours. A tall dark stranger who, like me, is listening to his iPod and looking out at the scenery. There is a family of five at the front of the bus and the kids are screaming at the top of their lungs at each other and finally there is a girl a couple seats ahead of me trying unsuccessfully to dry her eyes without gathering attention.

Usually I'd leave the girl alone but her expression tugs at my heart. She looks like what I imagine I did when Edward broke my heart. I can't just leave her alone when I know how it feels.

As I stand and walk towards the girl I take in her appearance. Shoulder length blonde hair and an oval shaped face. Her nose has a wicked curve at the end of it but it complements her facially features nicely. Her eyes are a light blue color, like the sky, and she seems to be a couple of inches shorter than me, maybe 5'3".

She doesn't seem to notice me until I rest a hand on her shoulder because she jumps in her seat. "Do you want to talk about it?" I ask softly.

She looks at me with suspicious eyes so I grudgingly explain. I don't really like talking about Edward because I wasn't myself when I was with him. I'm really not proud of the weak person that was me at that time. I was weak when I met Edward and his entire existence was enchanting to me. It drew me in and I let myself fall for him. "I met this wonderful guy in my junior year of high school and I thought I loved him but not even a year later he broke up with me. He said that I was just a pet for him and his family and that I was useless. He said that I was dull and not worth his time. I went into a depression for the longest time so I know how you might feel right now."

She looks at me with new respect by the time I'm done talking and she clears her throat to speak up. "My boyfriend of three years that I love so much just broke up with me because he said that I wasn't good enough for him. He told me that on the phone too," She gives a hysterical laugh as her eyes fill with tears again.

I fish around in my pocket for an unused Kleenex and give her one to use. "I've learned that any boyfriend, who doesn't think that you aren't good enough or tries to change you into someone else to fit his needs, isn't worth your time." I pause and grab one of her hands in my tightly. "You are better than anyone who says that to you and you shouldn't lower yourself just to settle for someone. You should find someone who really does love you and understands you. You only have one chance at this life so don't waste it on moping about what could've been."

She dabs at her eyes and takes in a shaky breath. "Thank you for your advice. I'll think about what you said. I'm Amy by the way."

"I'm Bella," satisfied that I did all that I could to help her I go back to my seat and start thinking again.

Talking to Amy has brought up thoughts of my past. Thoughts that I had thought were long dead and buried but it appears not. I had pushed all thoughts of my time in Forks away from me, not wanting them to hurt me anymore. But now I see my time in Forks and am ashamed of most of it. From the fact that I let myself get caught up in Edward's life and didn't have any time for my friends to the way that I didn't have any interaction with my father. Before knowing the Cullen's I had a great relationship with my dad and I had never hidden anything from him but the minute I start to get to know the Cullen's, I started hiding everything about my life from him. I was evasive and always tried to change the subject.

I think Charlie realized that I had changed but didn't want to bring it up just in case I pulled away from him even more.

I wonder how Angela Webber is doing. I know she and I were close friends until the Cullen's took up most of my time. But suddenly I want to mend that relationship to what it was before and hopefully, even better. I'm not sure if Angela will even want to talk to me since it's been almost ten years since I've last seen her. Hopefully she wants to mend our relationship too.

I dig around in my bag and grab my phone. It's only 3:30 in the afternoon for me so Angela will still be up. I unlock it and scroll through my contacts to find Angela's name. I press call and pray that this is still her number even though I got it when I first met her. The phone rings and rings. When I'm about to hang up though, someone answers.

"Hello?" A girl's voice asks.

"Hello, this is Bella Swan. Is this Angela Webber?" I ask.

"Oh, hi Bella! Um, not to sound rude or anything but what are you doing calling me after all these years?" She asks, sounding shocked at hearing from me.

I lean back in the rough seats and decide to just tell the truth. "Well, I was thinking about my time in Forks and realized I haven't talked to you in a long time. So what's new in your life?"

"Well after high school I went to UDub and got a degree in journalism. After I finished university I took a job at the Seattle Times before moving back to Forks."

"That's amazing Angela, are you and Ben still together?" I ask.

"Yes, actually. Ben went to UDub with me and got his accounting degree and moved to Forks too, we're married now and I'm six months pregnant."

I gasp in shock, "Angela, congratulations, I'm so happy for you and Ben. Please tell him I said that and hello."

"I will," she promises. "But enough about me, what have you been doing these last years?"

"Um, I went to New York and got my degrees to be able to teach English at university level. Now I'm an English professor at NYU and am going to visit my mom right now."

"That's really good Bella." She pauses and I can practically hear her thoughts from across the country. She's going to ask about the Cullen's and Edward next. "Um, how have you been since Edward and his family left? I'm sorry to ask, but I was really worried about you."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I need to tell someone how I felt about Edward's leaving. "I've been good, I realized that he wasn't good for me and both he and his family were manipulating me. They made think less of myself but since leaving Forks I've really gotten a new attitude towards life."

I open my eyes and can practically hear the smile in her voice, "That's good Bella, I'm happy that you got over him."

I laugh a little, "I was even in love with another man for a while until I found out that he had feelings for another woman. He couldn't choose who he wanted and I didn't want to be strung along so I left him. Just my luck, right?"

"It seems like it Bella, but good for you for protecting your heart from the inevitable damage that could eventually come from a situation like that." Angela says.

"Yeah, well, what can you do?" I ask and shrug to myself. "Look, Angela, I want to rebuild our friendship if you want."

"Yeah, that would be great. You have my cell number, so just call me anytime and I'll take your number off my call history."

"Awesome, bye Angela." I reply.

"Bye, Bella." She says and I hang up.

I turn my head to look out at the modern buildings as we pass through another small city. The bus keeps going south but from the map on my phone I'm looking at, I know that Richmond, Virginia is only a few minutes away from where I am right now. I put my phone in my jacket pocket and zip it up before I am tempted to start a game or movie.

My body tenses just knowing that I'm only a few hours away from Damon Salvatore and his house in Mystic Falls. The man I loved and must admit, still love. I gave him my heart only for him not to be able to choose so I left him before he could hurt me any more than he already did.

I'm also just hours away from some amazing friends that I made while I was with Damon. I told them to keep in touch but they never did, they must've thought I overreacted or wasn't worth it.

I shake off the depressing thoughts and focus back on all the people walking outside and living their day to day life. My attention is pulled away from the people though and onto a garbage truck that is clearly not slowing down even though they have the red light.

The garbage truck comes closer and I can see the driver who is obviously distracted. I can't quite see what he is distracted by but I can tell that he is looking at something on the floor instead of the road. I open my mouth to say something but my focus is completely on the garbage truck. It speeds towards us and I can see the driver's eyes as he turns to face the road and notices the bus right in front of him. His eyes go wide but he can't stop his truck now. The garbage truck rams right into my side of the bus and I can feel the walls of the bus collapse in towards me. The window shatters beside me and I hunch my shoulders against the flying glass. I grab the seats in front of me to hold onto but I'm not strong enough.

I can hear the screams of the other passengers as the bus tips onto its right side and my grip slips. I fall and my side hits the side of the seats across from me. My body slips and I fall between the rows, my head hitting the window with a loud crack. I wince, crying out from the pain and try to roll into a ball to keep from getting more injuries. The bus screeches against the pavement for a moment before flipping onto its roof and sliding. I tumble through the air, hitting other seats. I see a large piece of jagged metal sticking out from the corner of my eye an instant before I'm shoved against the panels in the roof. I try to find anything to hold onto but I can't get a good hold on anything. The bus slowly stops and the sounds of the other passengers crying and moaning reach my ears.

I am lying on my left side on the roof with glass everywhere. I glance around and see that almost all of the windows have been blown out now. My seat on the bus is almost none existent, all there is left is a huge dent caused by the garbage truck. The other passengers are also lying on the roof like me in varying states of distress. The window that I smacked my head on has tons of tiny cracks spreading from the center where there is blood spackled on it. It paints a gruesome picture, one that I won't forget.

My breath is loud in my own ears as I try to make sense of what just happened and what I need to do next. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and immediately regret it because a sharp pain jabs into my brain. I can't help the whimper that escapes but muffle it with the back of my hand. When the pain dulls a tad, I grit my teeth against the pain and place my hands firmly onto the glass littered ceiling. I push up and try to get to my knees but something is holding my left leg is pinned down by something. I try to just roll over just so that I'm lying on my back but give up when it feels like my insides are being stabbed repeatedly.

I pant in exertion but grit my teeth once again and flip myself over onto my back. The pain causes my vision to darken and I almost black out for a moment before my vision clears. I take a deep breath and regret it as something stabs at my ribs.

I take shallow breathes instead and take inventory. I have something wet on my forehead, probably a large cut from the glass, a pain in my ribs and stomach. A monstrous headache and I can't seem to feel my left leg. I glance down at my body and am relieved that everything seems to be fine besides the pounding headache and the stabbing pain in my abdomen. Something glints in my leg though, I look closer and see that the large metal piece is attached to the roof of the bus and has gone straight through my leg. Blood is pouring around it and I can feel myself get light headed just looking at it. By the bad feeling in my gut and the amount of blood, I think it has punctured my femoral artery.

It just figures that the leg that I didn't break when I knew Edward is the one that is punctured. It's official, I have the worst luck. I remember the day Charlie came to see me in the hospital, he was so worried about me one moment and then ready to kill Edward the next. Too bad I didn't let Charlie try to kill Edward, maybe he would've succeeded but most likely not.

Charlie may not have known exactly what to do when I moved in with him or how to help me after Edward left but he is still my dad and I love him. He deserves to know that I was in an accident and to be able to say goodbye to me and vice versa. He deserves to knot hat I love him instead of finding out later that I was alive for minutes after the crash where I could've called him but didn't. I slowly take my right hand and unzip my jacket pocket and catch my phone before it falls to the ground. With one hand, I dial the number from memory and hold my phone up by my ear.

"Bella?" Charlie asks when he answers.

"Daddy," I say on a sob.

Charlie must hear something off in my voice because he immediately says, "Bella? Bella, honey, is something wrong?"

I blink rapidly as the reality of my situation sinks in, "Um, yeah, fine... Wait, no, it's not."

"What do you mean?" Charlie asks in his cop voice.

"My bus was just in an accident outside of Richmond, Virginia. I-"

Charlie cuts me off, "What? Bella, are you alright? Are you hurt at all?"

The concern in Charlie's voice causes tears to well in my eyes. I take in a shaky breath and get ready to lie through my teeth. I know that my injuries are very serious just from the amount of visits I've taken to the hospital over the years. Add the injuries I can't visibly see to the multiple scratches and the piece of metal in my thigh and I'm in deep trouble.

"I'm fine," I say slowly only for a memory to be recalled. A few months after Edward left Charlie and I made a promise to each other that we would never lie to one another. I haven't broken it once, other than not telling him about vampires and supernatural. Otherwise I've kept my word and I am not about to start lying now. "Actually, no, I'm not okay dad. I'm in pretty rough shape."

"Bella, listen to me alright? You're going to be just fine honey; help is on the way and will get there soon." Charlie's voice is strained as he tries to stay calm enough to calm me down.

I nod to myself and know he's right. When I was a kid and would visit him in the summer, Charlie would always tell me that no matter what city you are in the police and other help is only a few minutes away.

"Okay dad. Just know that I love you so much and appreciate all that you ever did for me. I will never forget it and-"

Charlie cuts me off again his voice is frantic. I can practically picture him rubbing his hand against his jaw as he paces in the kitchen, "Bella, don't say that. You're going to be fine. Just hold on honey, hold on and know that I love you."

"I love you too dad," I say one more time and hang up on Charlie's voice. I quickly turn my phone off before it can ring again and let it drop to the glass littered ceiling.

I can hear police sirens through the cries of the other passengers. I lift my head a tad to look around for Amy but can't seem to see her, hopefully she's okay. My head starts pounding again and feels light headed, like if it wasn't connected to my body it would float away. My eyes feel like lead weights and they fall closed with no fight from me where the darkness pulls me into its firm hold.

* * *

_**August 1996, Age 10 – La Push, Washington**_

_The moment the cold Pacific water hits my toes I let out a tiny scream. I look back at the beach to see Dad smiling at me while talking to Billy. I run out of the water and up to Dad, smiling wide. He kneels down and opens his arms wide, knowing what I want to do. Just before I reach him, I jump and he catches me and swings me around._

_I giggle as he stops spinning but keeps me in his arms, "Daddy, the water's cold." I tell him and he nods._

"_Well of course, kiddo, it's Washington." At that moment the dark clouds above us open up and it starts to rain. _

"_Let's go back to the house Charlie, before the kids get sick." Billy says he and Jake are standing together. Dad nods and he starts to follow the Blacks' up to their warm house. _

_Dad still has me in his arms and my head is nestled in the crook between his shoulder and neck. I look up at Dad and hug him tightly, "Thanks for letting me come here daddy. Mommy would've gotten tired of the beach too fast for me."_

_Dad looks down at me and his eyes shine with his love and adoration. He hugs me back tightly and whispers in my ear, "You can always come visit me Bell; you can even come live with me if you want."_

"_Maybe latter daddy, I need my mommy right now but maybe when I'm older like Jake's sisters." I whisper back. _

"_Now hold on tightly Bells, I'm going to run and beat those Blacks'." I hold on tightly and giggle madly when Dad starts running up the hill to the Black's little red house. "Hold on Bells, hold on!" Dad shouts to me and I can only laugh._

* * *

_**May 2001, Age 15 – Phoenix, Arizona**_

"_Mom, I don't think I'm doing this right." I say on a laugh as my wet clay curves in on itself and looks like a pile of goo. Mom and I are supposed to be taking this class to get closer to each other and to expand our life but it is a given that we can't make pottery to save our lives. _

_Mom laughs, "Yeah, I'm not doing any better." Mom points to her own lump of clay that looks more like a gray cake than the flower pot that it was supposed to be._

_I put my hands in the water again and try to fix my pile of goo to no use. I smirk as an idea comes to mind, I nonchalantly dip my hands back in the water and try to mold the clay again. This time making sure to get my hands all gray. The moment that mom is absorbed in her clay I swipe my index finger across her cheek._

_She gasps and looks at me in shock before starting to laugh. "Bella, I'll get you back for that."_

_I roll my eyes, "Yeah right, you can't surprise me."_

"_Oh yeah?" She dares and I nod. She fakes a swipe at my bare arm and I fall for it, leaving myself open and unaware of another attack. This time she jabs at my nose and lands dead on, leaving a large dot at the tip of my nose. "How's that for a surprise?"_

"_You've done it now," I threaten darkly and reach for more clay. At that moment the pottery teacher looks over at us and scowls._

"_Girls, stop that immediately and get back to your projects." She tells us from across the room and mom and I look down guiltily._

_After a few moments, we look at each other and burst out laughing. "Let's go home and get cleaned up Bella. I think it's safe to say that we are hopeless at this."_

"_Yeah, no kidding." I agree and follow her out of the studio._

* * *

_**September 2004 – Forks, Washington**_

_Edward is standing in front of me, his eyes cold as ice and impenetrable. The forest around us is quiet in the silence following Edward's damaging words. My heart is in a vise and I can't seem to get enough oxygen in my lungs._

"_You…don't…want me?" I ask slowly, the painful truth seeking in. Of course Edward Cullen wouldn't want me, a human. He's beautiful, perfect, and smart and can do anything he wants while I'm just a clumsy human who doesn't belong._

"_No," he says in his honey voice. One side of my mouth lifts in a sad smile, I knew this would happen sooner or later but buried the thought because Edward loved and wanted me. He promised that he would never leave but there was always a part of me that knew he would leave me sooner than later. _

"_Well, that changes things." I say calmly, gazing into the trees past Edward's shoulders._

"_Of course I'll always love you…" he pauses and my heart leaps, maybe he was lying, maybe he isn't leaving. "…in a way." He finishes and my hope is crushed._

_The hurt in my heart is almost too much and I let myself space out just to try to forget about it. I can vaguely hear Edward talking but can't make out what he's saying. "Don't, don't do this." I beg him as I refocus my eyes on his cold ones. _

"_You're not good for me, Bella." He says surely and stares deeply into my eyes._

"Bella."

"_If… that's what you want." I say cautiously, already walling my heart up from any other injury. _

"_I would like to ask one favour though, if that's not too much." He asks and looks around him. Edward looks impatient to get going._

"_Anything," I say quickly and then cringe at how pathetic I must sound. I don't care though, Edward is my life and I will do anything for him._

"_Don't do anything reckless or stupid," he orders and I nod quickly. If he asks this of me, that means he must care for me, right? "I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. Take care of yourself, for him."_

_I whisper softly into the gentle wind, "I will."_

"_And I'll make you a promise in return. I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed." _

_The words slam repeatedly into my heart and I cringe, knowing that they will be on replay in my head for the near future._

"_Don't worry," he continues and gives me a wicked smile, and doesn't seem to mind at all that I'm on the verge of a break down. "You're human, your memory is no more that a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind."_

"_And your memories," I can't help but choke out. _

"_Well, I won't forget. But my kind, we're very easily distracted and you were just a play thing." I gasp and feel like my heart has been torn from my chest and now there's only a hole left._

"Bella, wake up."

"_That's everything I suppose. We won't bother you again."_

_I nod numbly and suddenly Edward's words sink in. "Alice isn't coming back."_

"_No, they're all gone. I stayed behind to tell you goodbye." He explains._

_My voice can't help but shake, "Alice is gone?"_

_He shrugs, "She wanted to say goodbye but I convinced her that a clean break would be better for you."_

_My eyes widen at the words 'clean break'. That's what the doctor in Phoenix told me when I broke my leg. He said that since it was a clean break, it would heal faster. Edward can't think that I will forget him and move on from him quickly, can he? Doesn't he know that he is my entire world?_

"_Goodbye, Bella." He whispers and I panic._

"_Wait!"_

"Bella, come back to me. Bella, wake up, please."

_Edward takes a step closer to me and pulls me to him. I try to hold on tightly as he whispers, "Take care of yourself." But he easily pulls himself out of my arms and walks away without a backward glance._

_I try to get air into my lungs but they don't seem to accept it. I'm aware that I'm practically hyperventilating but I can't seem to stop. The most important person in my world just left me and said he doesn't want me._

* * *

_The memories disappear from my eyelids but I can't open them. The darkness around me is too comforting and soothing, nothing can go wrong here. Nothing can hurt me here and I'm just so tired._

"Come on Bella, wake up."

_The annoying voice is back again, I heard it while the memory of Edward played unwanted across my eyelids. I tried to stop the memory but couldn't, it was as if I was being forced to relive both some of my best times and the worst times in my life. _

"Dammit Bella, don't be stubborn now. Listen to me."_ The voice sounds familiar but I'm too tired and too relaxed to care. I vaguely recognize that the voice is as annoying as the owner and I think that I know this person._

"Bella, I swear if you don't wake up, I will never forgive you."_ The voice growls and I groan to myself, knowing that I won't get my peace until I give in. I focus and try to lift my eyelids only for nothing to happen. I relax in the nothingness and focus once again. _

This time my eyelids lift easily and I immediately lock gazes with familiar ice blue eyes that I had run from not even six months before. "Not you," I groan and close my eyes again to go back to the darkness. I really don't want to have this conversation right now.

"If you don't open your eyes, I swear I will tear out your liver." Damon promises me and I immediately open my eyes, knowing he's not joking.

I glare at him and give him a tired smirk, "How's Elena?" I think I see him flinch but it must be my imagination.

* * *

_**September 2012 – New York University Campus**_

_I hurry across campus during the break between lectures back to my lecture hall. I had remembered that I had left my stove on accidently during my last lecture and had to quickly catch a cab, go home, turn off the stove and come back to campus all before my next lecture starts. _

_I'm practically running in my haste and don't notice the man in front of me until it's too late. I crash into him, sending us both crashing to the ground. "I'm so sorry," I immediately say as I get back up._

"_You should be," the man snarls as he brushes himself off._

_I stare at him in shock, I said sorry he doesn't need to be rude. "Hey, I apologized but you don't need to be so rude. It was an accident."_

_The man looks up for once and I'm trapped in his gaze. The ice blue eyes seem to stare right into my soul and send a shock through my body. He looks away from my eyes and looks me up and down, his gaze lingering in certain spots._

_I don't blush though; I had gotten over doing that a few months after Edward had left. "What's your name?"_

"_Damon Salvatore. Now what's your name, pretty little thing?" He asks confident that I'm going to fall at his feet._

_I cock an eyebrow and just glance over him too and take in the hard looking body, the beauty and the cat like grace that seems to seep out of him._

_I have a feeling that I know what he is, just by looking at him. He has that same strange stillness, gracefulness, and just all around persona of a person that has been around for a long time. He shouldn't be a vampire though; he doesn't have yellow or red eyes. He can't be wearing contacts either because I can't see the rims of them from this close. _

_But if there are multiple types of dogs and cats, can't there be more than one type of vampire? It is possible. Even if I tell him that I know he's a vampire and he isn't, he'll just think I'm crazy and walk away. The only thing disappointing in that is that I made a hot guy think I'm completely nuts. If he is a vampire though, he will probably laugh nervously, get mad or might try to kill me. _

"_You gonna give me an answer?" He asks impatiently. _

_I decide to go for it, "My name is Bella Swan and you're a vampire."_

_His eyes widen for a millisecond and then he glares at me. He strides up to me until we are chest to chest with barely any room separating us. His pupils dilate as he stares down at me and speaks firmly. "How do you know that?"_

_I glare at him and take a step back, "Why would I tell you that?"_

_He looks at me in shock before getting back on track, "You'll tell me or I'll rip off your pretty little head."_

_I snort, "Like I haven't heard that one before."_

_He seems to be stuck in thought for a moment before he decides something. He grabs my arm and pulls me in the opposite direction of my class and towards lines of cabs. "Hey, let go. I have a class to teach, you can't just take me away."_

_He smirks down at me, "I'm a vampire, I can do whatever I want."_

_**8 Weeks Later**_

_I slam the door of my Damon's house and go upstairs to Damon's bedroom to grab a book from my bag. I grab one at random and then stomp back downstairs to the living room. I grab one of the blankets from a closet before curling up in the corner of the couch with my book. My mind can't focus on the words though. They swim out of focus as my thoughts drift. _

_Damon and I have been together for eight weeks now, since the first day I saw him on campus in New York. The day after I first saw Damon, he explained to me his past and what has been going on in his home town while I shared my story with him. I may have been distant to him at first but over the next few days he swept me off my feet and I fell hard for him. He helped me fix the last few broken pieces that Edward left and helped me realize that I'm no longer the girl Edward left. I'm so much stronger and independent._

_We stayed in New York City and got to know each other a lot more. After only knowing him for three weeks, I told him I loved him. He told me he loved me too and we lived in happiness until Damon got a phone call one day. It was his friend Elena Gilbert who was dating his brother Stefan before Stefan became a Ripper again. Elena said that they were having troubles in Mystic Falls and needed his help to fix them. Damon and I talked about it and we both agreed that we should move to Mystic Falls to help out with their situation. I took an extended leave of absence from work and kept my apartment but I can still go back at any time. _

_Ever since we got here though, Damon's been gone longer and longer hours while I just wander around town and make friends with the town's occupants. Caroline and I have become really good friends, bonding over our parents being in the law force and our parents being divorced. I even spent a few hours talking to Jeremy on the phone about falling in love with a vampire and how he overcame the pain of losing Anna so suddenly. Jeremy and I both talked about how we aren't included in discussions about the supernatural and how frustrating it could be. It's nice to say that I've made my share of friends now. I ignore the long hours without Damon though because I know that he's helping this town and its problems._

_Damon and Elena left for Denver early this morning and now it's a little after six PM. This morning I asked Damon if I could go with him but he told me that it was too dangerous to come with him and Elena to pick up Jeremy. I gave him a look because I've been living with the knowledge of vampires a lot longer than Elena and yet it's not too dangerous for her. I didn't say anything though and let him go with a bad feeling in my gut._

_Stefan stayed behind to find out where the last White Oak Stake is since Alaric's alter-ego hid it from everyone. In the few weeks since I've moved here, Ric has become a good friend of mine. It's almost like he's a brother to me and we've taken to calling each other nicknames. He's Indie since he looks like a young Harrison Ford and I'm Unlucky since I keep getting pulled into the supernatural. It kills me to see him like this but I can't help or I would be. Stefan is downstairs talking to Alaric right now but I'm not worried._

_I put down my book and I submit to the fact that I won't be able to concentrate on it. I've read the same page multiple times and I've lost almost three hours in my thoughts. Instead I turn the TV and start a movie I had taped last night. I know that I won't be able to sleep anytime soon so I might as well watch a movie. I'm about halfway through when my phone starts ringing and I look at it in confusion to see Jeremy's name on the screen instead of Damon's like I was expecting._

"_Hello," I say and continue watching the movie. Jeremy sighs in relief and I turn the TV down, my attention focused on him now. "Jeremy, what's wrong?"_

_He hesitates for a moment, "I don't want this to hurt you but it will no matter if you hear it now or later. If you hear it later though, I know it'll hurt more."_

"_What are you talking about Jeremy?" _

"_Look, tonight I woke up in the motel room alone and opened the door to see if Damon and Elena were out there." Jeremy pauses and a bad feeling settles in my gut. I'm about to tell him to continue, when he speaks. "I saw them making out and then when they separated, they didn't try to explain themselves. I swear I'm not making this up Bella, I just think you should know before Damon lies to you. Elena looked sorry though, if that makes you feel better. We're in Kansas right now Bella but we should be back in the morning or early afternoon."_

_It feels like the floors been taken out from under my feet and I can't catch my breath. I stare at nothing as I try to think and come up with a response for Jeremy. I blink rapidly to try to keep the tears at bay and say softly, "Thanks for telling me Jeremy, I have to go now." My voice breaks on the last few words and I hang up before he can hear me start crying._

_I let my head fall back and rest on the edge of the couch and the tears fall down my cheeks. I let the sobs that I had been holding in and just let out all the hurt. The movie ends during my crying fit and I'm only snapped out of it when the main credits start rolling._

_What if Stefan heard me up hear crying? My eyes widen at that thought before I remember that Stefan is trying to be good again and won't bother me. _

_I wipe my eyes and go upstairs to Damon's room and start packing up my things. I feel so stupid right now and used. I should've known that the feelings Damon had for Elena were more than they seemed but I trusted him when he said they were just friends. I thought that Damon's feelings were just friendship and he wanted to protect Elena because she was his brother's girlfriend. Damon's just like Edward though; he hides things and doesn't trust me enough to make my own decisions about what I can or cannot know. _

_The one thing about Damon that reminds me of Edward though is the fact that I fell for both of them so quickly and fully. Then they both broke my heart and it didn't even occur to me that it could happen. _

_My tears blur my vision and I have to sit down on the bed before I run into something or trip over my own feet. My heart feels like it's being torn out of my chest and my head hurts from the crying. I take a few deep breathes and calm myself down long enough to finish packing. _

_I carry my things down the stairs and to the garage where my car is. I start it and pull it in front of the boarding house. I won't leave without giving Damon a chance to explain though I know he won't, it's not in his DNA code. _

_I go back into the house to see that Klaus and Rebekah are here. I stop and keep my head high, even if I'm embarrassed that they can see me at my worst. Rebekah has a bloodied Alaric by the collar of his jacket and Stefan is near the couch with Klaus standing behind him. They all look at me and take in my red eyes, and dripping nose._

_Stefan walks towards me and goes to put his hands on my shoulders but I flinch away. "Bella, are you alright?"_

_I can't speak, there is a large lump lodged in my throat, preventing me from even saying yes or no. _

_Klaus finishes pouring his drink and gestures to me with it. "Look at her Stefan, she's heartbroken. I believe this is Damon's doing, right love?"_

_I close my eyes when everyone turns to look at me and try to get a hold of myself. Once I have a better composure, I lock all my feelings deep down inside and slowly nod my head yes. _

"_What did Damon do?" Stefan asks and I open my eyes. His green eyes soft and understanding but I won't break his heart._

_I shake my head and whisper, "I can't tell you Stefan, it's not my place."_

"_I'm going to take him to the caves," Rebekah says in the silence that falls. She looks towards Alaric and says, "You're going to go inside and fetch me the stake. If you think you can hide, you're dead wrong." She walks towards the door, dragging Alaric with her._

"_You knew better than to trust Damon, Bella. You're a weak person who's only good for getting their heart broken again and again." Alaric tells me as he walks past and I flinch at his words. Rebekah opens the door and pulls Alaric through before slamming the door shut. _

_Alaric's right though, even if that was his alter ego speaking. I've had my heart broken too many times to count by too many people. I think I might just be better off to be like Klaus and shut down my emotions. _

_Stefan catches my eye. "He's wrong, Bella. You are more than someone with a continuous line of broken hearts. You are someone who cares so much for others and falls in love the lost causes. You will find the right one eventually, believe me."_

"_I don't think I can, Stefan." I whisper, leaving Stefan with Klaus and heading upstairs to a guest room. I can't go back to Damon's room, it hurts too much to go in there. I lay down on the bed and let the tears fall silently into the pillow. _

_I wake up with a throbbing headache from all the crying and an empty pit in my stomach. I slowly get up, head to the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face. That makes me feel slightly better and more alive. I walk downstairs and sit on the couch on the opposite end from where I heard that Damon and Elena kissed._

_I know that Damon cheated on me for sure, Jeremy wouldn't lie to me and I have one rule when it comes to dating, if the guy has feelings for another girl then don't get involved, it will only lead to heart ache. _

_I may not want to give up on this relationship but I know that I should. I don't want to be in a relationship where we hide things and lie to each other and where I'm the other woman. I don't want to be another play thing. _

_Damon comes home a few hours later and walks right past me towards his stash of alcohol without saying hello. He doesn't even realize from my slightly red eyes that I was crying. I take a deep breath and lock my heart up from any more pain. "How was the trip?"_

"_Fine," he says shortly and grabs a bottle of whiskey and a glass. _

_I roll my eyes as I realize that Damon is going to be difficult. "Anything you want to tell me?" I ask, giving him a chance to explain himself just in case Jeremy saw it wrong. _

_He takes a long drink before answering, "Nope, it was fine." Damon finishes his drink and starts heading upstairs._

_I stand up from my spot on the couch. "I know what happened."_

_Damon freezes on the first step and looks over his shoulder at me, "What do you mean?"_

"_I mean, I know that you and Elena kissed while you were on your trip." Damon turns around to face my fully and leans against the wall._

"_Look, Bella it was a one-time thing, I lost my head and it won't happen again. Please forgive me." He says and my will almost crumbles until I see how Damon's eyes flicker away. It's a sure sign that Damon's lying to me. In all the weeks we've been together, even though it's been a short time, I could always tell when Damon would lie just by the tiny flicker of his eyes. I could easily read him and vice versa._

_I slowly shake my head and his shoulders drop, "You know, I thought that you and Elena were only friends and this situation would never happen. I thought that you wouldn't hurt me but you're just like Edward." Damon flinches at that, knowing that is the worst thing I could ever call him, "I'm leaving Damon."_

"_Bella, let's talk about this." Damon pleads and walks up to me. "Don't leave."_

_I take a step back and the tears fill my eyes again. "Give me a reason, Damon and maybe I'll consider it."_

_He stares at me and holds his hand out to me, "I need you Bella; we're good together."_

_I shake my head and take another step back, "That's not good enough."_

"_What?" He asks with a sharp glare and walks up to me, "What did you want me to say?" _

"_I wanted you to say that you __**want**__ me, Damon. Not that you need me, there is a difference between the two." I say loudly, my eyes filling with tears. "I wanted you to say that we can work through this and that you wouldn't break my heart again."_

"_Just pretend that I said it." Damon suggest, my mouth drops open in shock and I blink back my tears._

"_That's not going to work Damon." I tell him and start heading for the door._

_Damon follows after me and holds the door shut when I put my hand on the doorknob. "Bella, don't do this. I love you."_

_I turn to look at him, "You have to choose someone Damon; I'm not going to be strung along so who is it going to be?" He doesn't respond and instead looks away from me. "You know Damon, you didn't even apologize for kissing her. You didn't even apologize for attempting to hide it from me." Damon looks back at me and opens his mouth but I shake my head, turn around and peel his hand off the door, "I love you too Damon but I'm not sure you really love me. Tell Ric and Jeremy to keep in touch if they want."_

_I step out the door and down the steps to my car. I open my door and look back towards the doorway. Damon still stands in the doorway but doesn't say anything. _

"_Have a good eternity Damon." I tell him and he looks at me sadly but doesn't say anything. I give him a few moments to change his mind but he doesn't say anything. I get in my car and speed off down the driveway, only looking back once to see the door closed now. The tears that I am holding back start to fall._

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**AN: Remember to review! I'll give you a sneak peak to the next and final part.**


	2. Part Two

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted, or favorited me or this story! I really love it when I get those notifications in my email and I feel so lucky! **

**I know this is over a month late and I won't give you excuses. Instead I will give you the chapter along with an apology. **

**Now this is the final chapter of this two-shot and I will be working on other plot ideas I have. **

**Enjoy!**

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Ch. 2 – Part Two

**Previously on **_**Bleeding Out:**_

"_Have a good eternity Damon." I tell him and he looks at me sadly but doesn't say anything. I give him a few moments to change his mind but he doesn't say anything. I get in my car and speed off down the driveway, only looking back once to see the door closed now. The tears that I am holding back start to fall._

I look at his familiar ice blue eyes and smile weakly. He's still as handsome as I remember but just looking at him causes all the pain I felt a few months ago when I left him to come rushing back. His raven black hair has grown out a little and it's falling in his eyes. Damon is still wearing all black and is wearing his silly leather jacket.

I chuckle and think that if I had taken a plane down to Jacksonville I wouldn't be near death and I wouldn't have to see Damon. I have a bad feeling that we're going to talk about why I left and I really don't have it in me to do it.

"Still threatening the people you care for Damon?" I ask on the end of a chuckle and immediately regret it as a stab of white hot pain goes through my body. I freeze in my spot and try not to breathe until the pain passes.

Damon leans shushes me and looks around for something, I'm guessing for help. I'm already shaking my head when he calls, "Somebody, we need help over here!"

No one moves and Damon growls to himself. He turns back to me and looks me up and down with frantic eyes. His hands pause as he tries to decide where he can touch me that won't cause me pain. I reach up with one hand and grab both of his in mine. I squeeze his hands and try to communicate with my eyes that it's going to be alright. "They aren't going to come help Damon, they think that I'm fine and they need to help the more critical people."

"That doesn't mean they can ignore you," he growls and looks exactly like the dangerous vampire he is.

I try to shrug but wince. "Others need help too Damon, not just me."

"Stay still," Damon tells me.

I close my eyes for a moment and Damon immediately shakes me by my shoulders. I cry out in pain and tears come to my eyes. Damon lets go and I slowly open my eyes to see him looking down at me, his blue eyes dark in what I hope is sorrow. If he is sad that I'm in so much pain then maybe he does care for me and if he does care for me, maybe he can do me one last favour.

"Since you're here already, can you do me one last favour?" I ask quietly, hopefully.

"What is it?" Damon asks, leaning in closer to hear me better.

"Damon," I plead, "please kill me."

"What?" He asks, sitting back in shock.

"I don't want to die slowly and in pain, please just kill me, Damon. I know you can do it, you did it for Rose."

"I knew I shouldn't have told you that story." Damon says and gives me a pained smirk.

"Damon, please." I whisper.

He shakes his head, "No, I won't do it."

The tears that I was holding back start falling. I feel an uncomfortable weight on my chest and a tickle in my throat. I cough to try to clear it and feel something warm bubble up my throat. I cough harder to dislodge the substance and turn my head away from Damon, blood spraying from my mouth and landing everywhere. My mouth tastes like copper and my body feels funny. I lie back against the ceiling and look back towards Damon, hopping he changed his mind.

Damon shakes his head though, his eyes full of unspoken regrets. He raises one hand and wipes the corner of my mouth gently with his long fingers. His fingers are stained red with my blood when he pulls back and I have to look away before I start to feel even more light-headed.

"Why are you in Richmond? Shouldn't you be in Mystic Falls figuring out a way to fix Indie?"

Damon shakes his head and his glacial eyes darken even more in sorrow, if that's possible. "Bella," he says gently, "Ric died a few weeks after you left Mystic Falls."

"What?" I ask on a broken whisper. Ric was like a brother to me and to hear this is heartbreaking. I didn't even know that he died, how terrible of a friend am I?

"Ric told me to tell you that he missed you and that he was sorry he didn't keep in touch." The tears flow steadier as the information sinks in.

"Maybe I'll see him on the other side." I say with a smirk. I take a deep breath, push the tears away and focus again. "You didn't answer my question."

"I was getting some stuff when I smelt your blood and wanted to know what happened." Damon shakes his head, "Why are we talking about this when I can be taking you to the hospital right now?"

"You really want to try to move me Damon?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. "If you do manage to get me off this bus, there will be a ton of police officers and EMT's stopping you from taking me away. That's if I even manage to live long enough after you pull me off the metal pole in my thigh."

Damon growls and glares at me, "What do you want me to do then Bella? You want me to just stand by and watch you die?"

"No, I want you to kill me Damon." I say forcefully, completely sure in my decision.

He shakes his head, "Not going to happen."

"What are your other options Damon? You know your blood doesn't work on me so that's out, and you can't take me to a hospital before I bleed out so your only options are too either kill me or watch me die slowly."

Damon is in denial though and won't accept my words, "No, no, you're going to be fine."

Black spots start clouding my vision and I know it's only a matter of time, something I have very little of. "Damon, I don't have time, if you ever cared about me at all, even the smallest amount, you'll do this for me. Please just kill me, it's the least you can do after not making a decision. You owe me." The last part is a low blow but I purposely said it to try to get him to do what I want.

I wait for a few moments to see if he will change his mind but the moments pass in silence. Damon looks at me with pained disbelieving eyes. As if he never thought that I would say what I did.

My head and stomach hurts and I can't feel my left leg anymore. There seems to be a pressure on my chest and I struggle to breath against it. Each time I breathe though, I get less and less oxygen.

"Damon," I whisper and try to plead with him with my eyes. Damon's eyes fill with tears and he shakes his head back and forth quickly. My eyelids fall shut and I can't find the strength to open them again.

"Bella! No – Bella, wake up! Come back to me!" Damon shouts as I feel the darkness engulf me slowly.

"Open your eyes Bella! Dammit, Bella, please don't leave me!" The darkness isn't as cold as I thought it would be; it feels like I'm wrapped in a large, soft blanket.

If this is dying, then I don't mind it so much.

**Damon POV**

I reach down and try to shake Bella awake, each second when she doesn't open her eyes passing excruciatingly slow. "Bella, open your eyes for me. Dammit, Bella wake up!"

She doesn't respond and lies limply on the ceiling of her bus, the blood from a cut on her forehead slowly dripping into her hair. I can hear Bella's heartbeat start to slow down and I act instinctively. I raise my wrist to my lips and bite down hard until I can taste my own blood. I bring my wrist down and press it against Bella's lips and wait but she doesn't start to drink it.

I groan in desperation even though I knew there was a very good chance that wasn't going to work. One time when Bella and I were living in New York at her apartment she tripped and cracked her head on a side table. She was bleeding everywhere and unconscious with no sign of waking up any time soon. I tried to give her my blood but when she took it, it didn't do anything to help her. It was like she just drank a glass of water instead of my healing blood. I ended up taking her to the ER for the doctors to treat her and Bella ended up having a few stitches and a headache.

I realized that since Bella was bitten by James and then Edward supposedly sucked the venom out, Edward must not have gotten all the venom. There is probably a tiny particle of it still in her system that keeps her from being compelled or healed by my kind. The venom is so small though that she isn't in danger of changing into a Cold One.

I look Bella up and down and weigh the pros and cons of taking her to the EMT's myself or going and finding an EMT myself. I decide quickly as I hear Bella's heart to slow down even more. I know what I have to do but that doesn't mean that I have to like it. I grip Bella's left leg tightly in my hand and pull it up off the metal pipe. Her blood starts gushing immediately and I put pressure on her leg and lift her into my arms. Crouching I hurry out of the bus, making sure that Bella doesn't hit anything on the way out.

As I step out of the bus, I look around quickly to find a paramedic. To the right of the bus wreck I see one with almost white blonde hair beside an empty ambulance and run up to him. He looks up at my when I get closer and immediately opens the back doors of the ambulance, calling for his partner to come and help. "Dillon, get over here!"

"What happened?" He asks as his partner with a crooked nose comes around from the driver's spot and goes to take Bella from my arms.

"She was in the bus crash." I say and take a step back.

"What's her name?"

"Bella Swan," I say watching the man closely, trying to determine if he's going to hurt Bella any more.

"Look, we have to get her to the hospital now." The man says and takes another step towards me.

I growl menacingly at the man with the crooked nose but he doesn't seem to notice as he gently pries Bella from my arms. Normally the human wouldn't have been able to get Bella out of my arms but I know she needs help and even though I'm a vampire, I can't help her. That knowledge hurts more than a lot of things I've felt in my long life.

The moment my hand lets go of her leg though, the blood starts gushing again. "Mark, we gotta hurry. She's unconscious, bleeding out and it looks like she has internal damage."

Crooked Nose puts Bella on the stretcher, straps her down and puts in an IV as Blondie hurries to the driver's side door. Blondie starts talking into the radio and I listen with half an ear as I try to step up into the ambulance but Crooked Nose stops me. "We have to leave quickly before she loses too much blood. I can't let you come with us."

"I'm her friend, I'm going with her." I growl and try to step up again. The man shakes his head and grabs both doors, "I'm sorry but we have to go, you can follow us on the way to the hospital though."

Crooked Nose slams the doors shut and I debate yanking them open and compelling my way in but give in. It'll be faster for them to go to the hospital without me fighting them about coming with them or not but it doesn't mean I have to like it. I growl to myself and quickly stalk to where I left my car when I first smelt Bella's blood. I get in; slam the door and race off in the direction the ambulance went.

I get to the hospital momentarily after the ambulance does and I don't let my eyes wander from Bella's still form. If I wasn't a vampire and I couldn't hear her slowly beating heart, I would've thought she was dead.

The hospital workers shout orders as I stand and watch in shock. I'm still processing how this could've happened and what might've happened if I didn't come across her. Bella would've died in the back of that bus and I wouldn't know that it happened. Bella's father never knew about her relationship with me so if she had died, he wouldn't have known to call me up and tell me.

The reality of the situation crashes down on me hard as an oxygen mask is placed over Bella's nose and mouth and she is wheeled into the OR. Bella may still die today if the doctors can't fix her and I can't do anything to help her.

Dazed, I sit down in one of the chairs in the waiting room that a nurse leads me to and stare wordlessly at the door that Bella disappeared into. I don't know how long I sit like that but the vibrating of my phone against my thigh brings me slightly out of my daze.

I slowly reach into the pocket of my dark jeans and answer the phone without glancing at the caller ID. "Hello?" I answer gruffly as I rake a hand through my hair.

"Damon," Elena's voice greets me and I clench my teeth together. It's her fault that Bella was in this position in the first place. "You don't need to leave Damon. Mystic Falls is your home too."

I huff to myself, "Yes I do need to leave Elena, you choose Stefan and my dear brother and I had a deal."

"Yes but that doesn't mean you have to leave." She tries to explain but I'm not having it. The night that Bella walked away from me I knew I had made a huge mistake and I was in pain from her not being with me but I buried it by drinking and throwing myself more into getting Elena to be mine. I thought it was working but nothing could keep the pain away for long.

The night Klaus was killed by Evil Alaric and Elena chose Stefan over me I decided to leave Mystic Falls and not come back. It had more painful memories than good ones and I was only torturing myself by staying.

I only stayed for a few more days to pack and open up my other house in Europe before leaving. Elena wanted me to stay but I couldn't, not after screwing it up with Bella so badly and in a town that brings more hurt than good to my life.

The night before Evil Alaric killed Klaus Elena was taken to the hospital for fainting after hitting her head and apparently she only had a concussion. Later that night Rebekah ran Matt's truck off Wickery Bridge and Stefan saved both Matt before he could drown but Elena died. She didn't have any vampire blood in her system so when Stefan got her out, he started CPR and she came back to life.

I also stayed for a few extra days to figure out why all vampires from Klaus' bloodline didn't die. Apparently witchy saved Klaus by putting his soul into Tyler's body and after everything had passed, she put Klaus back into his body.

Klaus and his siblings left a few days ago and I decided it was my turn to go too. I was going to go and visit Bella and plead for her to take me back but I had a feeling she wouldn't even look at me. Especially after taking her with me to Mystic Falls only to not be able to decide between Elena and Bella.

"I should've decided before you ever did, I could've saved everyone so much heart ache." I mumble to myself but Elena accidently hears me.

"Damon is this about Bella again? Look, if she couldn't handle you being a vampire and all your problems then she doesn't deserve you." I roll my eyes, wondering why I ever lied about why Bella left.

I told everyone that she couldn't handle our problems and me being a vampire. Stefan knew that I was lying though, he was at home when Bella was told that I kissed Elena. He doesn't know the real reason why she left but he knows it wasn't because she couldn't handle the supernatural. Jeremy felt abandoned and didn't talk to Bella.

Ric on the other hand, knew I was lying and easily figured out why Bella actually left. He was in my house when Stefan saw Bella last but Alaric was his evil alter ego then and he doesn't remember it. Stefan told Alaric that he said some hurtful things to Bella but didn't tell us exactly what Alaric said to her. Alaric was going to talk to Bella but then the whole Esther problem happened. It's my fault that no one talked to her when she left and she doesn't even know it.

"Bella didn't leave because she couldn't handle all the supernatural stuff in my life." I say to her and blurt out before I can change my mind. "She knew that I had feelings for you and when she asked me to choose, I couldn't. She left because I couldn't choose between her and you when it should've been a simple decision."

Elena is quiet for a long time before saying harshly, "Damon Salvatore, fix this with Bella now before I call her and explain. You should've chosen her every time because I never had feelings like that for you." Her voice softens, "She really loved you Damon and you broke her heart. You'll be one lucky son of a gun if she hasn't moved on and forgives you."

"I know," I mutter and my head snaps up when a doctor comes out of the doors that Bella went in. "I gotta go," I say and hang up on Elena.

I jog up to the doctor, "Is Bella Swan okay?" I ask impatiently, just barely stopping myself from compelling him of telling me the truth.

"Are you her family?" He asks as he grabs a clean medical chart and starts writing something on it.

"No, bu-"

"If you aren't her family, I can't tell you anything. If you have a family member of hers that I can call and tell them the news, I'll ask them if you can see her." He says in a cocky way, knowing that he has a power over me. I growl and feel my eyes darkening in rage, wanting to rip his head off his shoulders but knowing I can't in this public place.

Instead I step up to him and he cowers back slightly. His instincts telling him that I'm dangerous and it won't be wise to piss me off anymore. "You are going to tell me what is wrong with Bella Swan and what you are doing to help her or I'm going to tear your throat out." I compel him and he stares up at me before mumbling.

"I'm going to tell you about Bella Swan."

"Good, now what is wrong and what you doing to help her." I ask him.

"She had a punctured femoral artery which we managed to stitch up in time before she lost too much blood. She has internal bleeding which we can't seem to stop, a concussion from the bus accident, three broken ribs, one of which managed to almost tear a hole in her right lung and multiple cuts from the glass."

It feels like all air has left my lungs and I can't breathe. How can anyone be that hurt and still was able to have a rational conversation? Bella must've been in more pain than I imagined but then again, she was always able to hide how much she hurt from me.

"What are you doing to help her?" I growl at him and practically shake him when he takes too long to answer.

"There's nothing we can do to save her, her injuries are too great. She will die soon just from the internal bleeding so we're just making her comfortable for her last hours."

It feels like someone pulled the rug out from under my feet and sent a wooden stake into my stomach at the same time. I never thought that the doctors couldn't save Bella, it didn't even cross my mind and I'm not ready for it. The despair soon turns to anger but the doctor leaves before I can take a bite out of him.

I stand in the waiting room in shock for a few moments as tears well in my eyes. I push them down and follow the smell of Bella's blood through the doors and down a few hallways until I reach a door. Through the window I can see Bella sleeping on the bed and she looks so peaceful that I step inside, close and lock the door and blur to her side.

The blanket is pulled up to Bella's shoulders but I can see a large bandage on her leg from where the metal pole went right through her leg. Her eyes are closed and she has a slight smile of her face and even though she went through hell she still looks beautiful to me. I clutch her left hand in mine and place a gentle kiss on the back of it, pausing there and wishing she'd wake up and tell me she'll be fine.

A single tear falls down my cheek and lands on the back of her hand with a soft splat. "Please wake up," I whisper, knowing she won't answer.

The bite mark on her wrist catches my eye and I glare at it silently. If it wasn't for that mark then Bella wouldn't be dying right now, she'd be safe and healed from my blood. A light bulb goes off in my head and I look at the bite mark more closely. If the venom from the bite is what is keeping me from healing her, why don't I just take it out? In theory, when the venom is completely gone I'll be able to heal her but she might not survive the blood loss with all her injuries. Or the venom may have merged with her body and no matter how much blood I take, it won't be enough.

There is no guarantee that this will work but it would be fulfilling Bella's wish of me if it doesn't work. I bow my head over her hand and whisper, "I'm sorry if this kills you." Gently I turn her hand over so that the wrist is facing up and kiss the bite mark that is slightly colder than the rest of her skin.

I let my fangs slip out and I carefully bite directly over the old scar. I don't even notice the taste of Bella's blood at first but after a few seconds it hits me. Bella's blood tastes better than any blood I've ever had, from the vein or otherwise. I have never even had a drop of her blood before because Bella became faint when seeing or smelling blood and she flat out told me that I was never having a drop of her blood while she's conscious.

I raise both hands to her wrist and keep it secured against my mouth as I gulp more blood down greedily. Underneath the taste of Bella's blood which is a mixture of strawberries and chocolate there is a more bitter taste. The bitterness reminds me of biting a lime without any alcohol to chase down the taste. I suck and gulp down more of her blood and I can tell that the bitterness is slowly fading from Bella's system and into mine. The venom doesn't seem to settle quite right in my stomach but I ignore it.

I was so fascinated by Bella's blood and the venom that I didn't notice that her heartbeat is slowing down even more. I'm suddenly stuck in indecision, keep going and risk draining Bella just to get all the venom out and possibly save her or let Bella live a few more hours with the venom in her.

I keep drinking Bella's blood down, knowing this way there's a chance that I can still save her this way. Even if I don't, she wanted me to kill her and I'm fulfilling her wish. I take a few more mouthfuls, the bitter venom almost completely gone from her blood but I keep going, not wanting to miss a particle and have this all be for nothing.

Bella's heartbeat gets slower and slower but I take a few more swallows and I can't taste anything except her sweet taste no matter how hard I try. I pull away, her blood smeared over my lips and look up at Bella's peacefully face.

Her eyes are still closed but she looks a lot worse than when I first walked in. Her heart monitor is still slowly beeping and I can barely hear her breathing. Standing, I bite into my wrist and press it against Bella's slightly open mouth. The blood must be helping in some way because she slowly wakes up and takes in more of my blood. I pull away after a few minutes; sure that she's had enough for now.

Bella's eyelids slowly open to reveal her dark brown orbs that I can get lost in forever and never want to look away from. She doesn't seem to recognize me then her eyelids fall shut once more. I sigh in relief as her heartbeat slowly gains in strength and her breathing gets stronger. I watch as the large cut on her forehead slowly heals itself and all the other tiny cuts on her skin.

I sigh in relief and reluctantly turn away from her. I head towards the attached bathroom and wet some paper towel. First I wipe off Bella's blood from my mouth and any smeared blood from my wrist. Next I take some more damp paper towel back to Bella and wipe her mouth off, trying not to linger on her luscious lips. I go back and forth between the bathroom and Bella as I try to clean her up the best that I can. The dried blood from her cut on her forehead is wiped away. I lifted the blanket from her left leg and undid the bandage over the stitches the doctors put in. I cut each stitch with some scissors I found and pull the string out of the mostly healed cut. Now it's just a small cut that will easily heal on its own. I wipe off some of the dried blood there too before retying the bandage.

Finally I sit down and allow myself to try to relax for once since I smelt Bella's blood driving past that bus crash. I lean back as much as I can in this hard chair and allow my eyes to slip closed.

Later, I don't know how much later, I feel a touch on my right hand. Knowing it's my imagination I keep my eyes closed, not wanting my hope to shatter when I see that Bella is still unconscious. The touch gets more insistent and I open my eyes reluctantly, expecting only to see Bella lying sleeping in her bed.

Instead, Bella's eyes are open and deep pools of melted chocolate are staring into my soul. The words I had contemplated in the back of my mind are stuck on the end of my tongue and all I can do is stare at her dumbly.

She clears her throat and croaks out in a dry, weak voice, "Water?"

I stumble out of the chair and blur to get her a glass of water and bring it back to her. I help Bella sit up slightly to drink the water before laying her down again. She turns her head and looks at me silently before asking, "What happened?"

"You remember the bus accident right?" I ask and she nods, "Well after you blacked out I pulled your leg off the metal pole and toke you to a paramedic. They took you to the hospital where they stitched up your leg. You have a concussion from the bus accident, three broken ribs, one of which managed to almost tear a hole in her lung and multiple cuts from the glass. You also have internal bleeding that they couldn't seem to stop. Since they couldn't do anything else for you because of the internal bleeding and multiple serious injuries they put you in this room to die in peace."

"Then how am I alive and feeling better than before?" Bella asks confused.

I lean back in the stiff chair and allow myself one smug smirk before explaining, "My blood is magic."

She snorts and rolls her eyes, "Yeah, right, what did you do Damon?"

I raise an eyebrow and say seriously, "I sucked any leftover venom from your system and then gave you my blood which healed you and prevented you from dying of blood lose."

Bella lays there blinking in shock and looks at her left wrist where the bite mark has disappeared. "Thank you," she mumbles then looks up and her gaze locks with mine. Her eyes show her emotions: scared at this situation and probably seeing me again, thankfulness that she's okay and hope. Maybe I'm just imagining the last one though because I want it to be true. I want her to see that I've changed and I won't make her leave again.

Suddenly, her emotions in her eyes are shut off and Bella distances herself from me both emotionally and physically. Bella moves back in her bed a few inches but it hurts just as much as if she moved to the other side of the room. "You can go back to Elena now," Bella says coolly.

I shake my head, "That's not going to happen." I leave it open ended enough that Bella has to want the answer but if she doesn't, she doesn't need to ask.

Bella tries to stop her curiosity from taking over but loses and asks, "Why not?"

"Because I did a horrible thing in not choosing you over Elena, Bella." Bella glances up at me eyes wide in shock.

Bella starts to ask something but I cut her off, "Let me get this out okay? After you left I regretted not telling you exactly how I felt and smothered my feelings in a bottle. Anyone who asked why you left was told that you left because you couldn't handle a supernatural life anymore. That you didn't want to be reminded by anything having to do with supernatural anymore and that's why Alaric and Jeremy didn't call you after you left. They thought that they were respecting your wishes.

"After you left I was convinced that Elena would love me and I tried to win her love but never got it. Alaric was changed into a hunter vampire like Klaus' father, Mikael, by Klaus' mother, Esther. Alaric was going to kill Klaus and in turn kill off his blood line which includes me, Stefan and anyone turned from our blood. Alaric managed to kill Klaus' body but Bonnie saved his life and put it into Tyler. At the same time Rebekah pushed Elena and Matt's truck of Wickery Bridge where Elena died for a few minutes before Stefan restarted her heart. Alaric died because Esther tied his life to Elena's and Elena had died for a few minutes. I stayed in Mystic Falls long enough for the Original's to leave and then I was leaving to Europe since Mystic Falls held more bad memories than good ones."

Bella's face is practically tomato red in anger as she waits until I finish. I moment I do, she explodes, "What the heck where you thinking Damon? Why would you tell everyone that I couldn't handle the supernatural? I've been through more vampire and werewolf stuff than most of anyone in that town." Bella pauses and takes a deep breath to calm herself down before her eyes suddenly widen. "Oh God, Ric died thinking that I didn't want to be there anymore. He must've hated me." She whispers to herself.

"No," I quickly disagree. "Ric was smart enough to call me on my bullshit and understood why you left. He gave me a good reaming too."

"That doesn't really help Damon," she whispers and closes her eyes.

"I know, but I hoped it would." A sharp pain starts in my stomach and I start shaking a little bit. I try not to grimace in pain as my arms wrap around my mid section. This doesn't make sense; I haven't been staked or drank vervain so I shouldn't be feeling any pain. Vampires can't get sick so this is a mystery. I stand shakily and start to head to the bathroom only to start to fall.

**Bella POV**

My eyes are closed as my head still spins with this new information. I open my eyes when I hear a soft groan from Damon and see him flinch in pain. I sit up a little straighter, and I am about to ask what is wrong when he stands up. Damon barely takes two steps before his knees give out and he crashes to the ground.

"Damon?" I ask worriedly.

Damon just lays there and curls into a ball. I push the blanket off my legs and swing them to the edge of the bed and stand up. I'm slightly wobbly since I'm not fully healed just yet but I'm healed enough to help Damon.

I kneel down beside him and brush his hair away from his eyes, "Damon, what's wrong?"

Damon closes his eyes against the pain and pushes me away with one arm, "You don't want to see this." He mumbles before blurring to the small connecting bathroom and throwing up blood into the toilet.

I stumble after his shaking form and look around for something to wet. I grab one of the small hand towels and run it under some cool water. I sit down beside Damon, put the towel on the back of his neck and rub soothing circles on his back. Once Damon is finished he slumps against the floor, still shaking slightly and falls asleep. I brush some of his dark hair out of his eyes before standing and going back to my bed. I strip the top blanket off the bed, take it with me back to the bathroom and drape it over Damon's still form.

The blood that Damon threw up mostly made it into the toilet but there is a small amount of it splattered on the toilet seat. I grab some paper towel, wet it under the tap and wipe down any blood just in case I start to feel light-headed.

When I'm done I lean against the wall across from Damon and watch him silently. Everything that Damon told me before getting sick sounded like the truth but I can't trust it. I want to but I can't because of our history. I want to believe that he is over Elena and that he really did miss me but I can't, not until he specifically tells me and shows me.

But I guess he did show me by staying with me at the bus accident and then saving my life in this hospital. If he didn't miss me or care for me, he wouldn't have done any of that. Is he still really over Elena though or I am being the second choice once again? My heart wants to trust him but my head knows better and I am keeping my distance just in case.

Damon's eyelids flutter gently and he slowly opens them. "Hey," I whisper to him and grab the hand closest to me. I rub small circles into the back of his hand and tease, "I've never known a vampire to throw up blood before."

He chuckles weakly, "Yeah, are you gonna put my name in the Guinness Book of Records?"

I smile before becoming serious. I shake my head, "Damon, why did you throw up?"

Damon clears his throat, "The blood smelled like yours but more bitter. I must've thrown up from the venom that I consumed from your blood. It seems my kind can't stomach Cold One venom."

I nod and smile in thanks, "I don't know if I've thanked you yet so thank you Damon. You could've let me die but you took a chance even though it made you sick."

Damon sits up and I stand up to give him room in the closet sized bathroom. I back up as Damon stands up slowly. He leans precariously to one side before righting himself and following me back into my room. I sit on the bed and Damon sits back down in his chair.

We are quiet for a few moments as my mind races. The doctors think that I'm going to die soon but I'm healthy enough to walk out now. The tricky part is the fact that my chart says that I'm terminally injured. Not to mention all the doctors and nurses that saw what type of shape I was in.

"What are we going to do now?" I ask and pull my legs to my chest, wrapping my arms around them and resting my chin on my knees.

"What do you mean?" Damon asks.

I roll my eyes, "Damon, multiple doctors and nurses saw that I was going to die, we don't even know who exactly saw me."

Damon waves me off and smirks at me. "Easy fix, don't worry."

"Really?" I quirk an eyebrow at him, "And what about my chart?"

Damon leans forward and grabs my chart off the end of my bed from where it was hanging. He rips off the top page and glances at it for a moment before writing something on the new blank page. He glances up at the ripped page a few more times before looking down and nodding, satisfied.

Damon hands both the ripped paper and the rest of my chart to me for inspection. "How does that look?" He asks, while spinning the pen between two fingers.

Both pieces of paper have writing on them and the writing looks identical. The ripped paper has everything that the doctors really have done for me since I was admitted. The new paper says that I was admitted for minor cuts and a possible concussion and was released after a quick check over. The signatures of the doctor that looked after me are even identical.

I nod, speechless in awe. "Nicely done, I didn't think of that."

He looks at me, still twirling the pen. "Glad you have such faith in me."

"I had a lot of faith in you Damon, you're the one that broke it." The words slip out before I can stop them and my eyes widen in shock. Damon's eyes flash with a mixture of hurt and regret before his mask slips on and he is back to the unfeeling jerk he portrays.

"I-I didn't mean to say that." I stutter and look down at my hands.

"No, you did." Damon says and I look up at him. "You did and I deserve it, I know I made a mistake." Damon stands, grabs my chart and heads to the door.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"I'm going to compel all the doctors and nurses that ever saw you into believing they never saw you. Then I'm going to the ER to find another doctor and I'm going to compel him into remembering fixing you."

I nod and Damon slips out silently. If I'm leaving when Damon gets back, I'm going to need my clothes back. I can't just go out into Richmond in a hospital gown. After a few minutes of searching, I find my clothes in a box under the night stand. I take the entire box into the bathroom with me and take off the gown. I put on my underwear quickly and try to wash out any blood spots on my shirt. I try to dry it with some paper towel which doesn't really work before putting it on.

Last item is my jeans which are almost a complete mess. There is a large blood stain and hole on the left thigh and the calves of both pant legs are ripped in multiple places. I hold the pants above the sink and shake them roughly, getting all the glass out of them. I don't want to cut myself up again. I put the bloody part of my pants under the tap and wash out most of the blood. Then I squeeze the water out of them before stepping into them. The jeans don't look that bad and the hole looks like it was purposely put there. I slip on my runners after first putting on my socks.

Damon walks into my room just as I leave the bathroom. "Easy as pie, now let's go." Damon says and heads back into the hallway.

I follow after him silently, not really caring where we are going as long as we are leaving the hospital. As soon as we step foot in the sun, I stop causing Damon to turn back to me. I tilt my head to the sun and just soak it in for a moment. I thought that I would never see the sun again or feel the wind on my skin. I never took life for granted before but now I'm not going to let fear hold me back from getting what I want.

Damon grabs my head and I look at him before asking, "Where are we going?"

"I have an apartment here, I thought that we could talk there." Damon says in a questioning tone. His blue eyes are vulnerable, something that I haven't seen in a long time. I know that the right thing for my fragile heart is to walk away but I can't move my feet. I can't leave just yet; I might not see him again. Besides, I want to talk things out with Damon; I have a feeling that I will appreciate what he says.

The walk to his apartment is quiet but fast since his place isn't far from the hospital. Probably easier to get blood bags that way. His apartment is in a large brownstone and Damon says he lives on the top floor. We walk to the very top floor and he pulls out his key chain and flips through a couple keys before finding the right one.

He opens the door and motions for me to walk in first. I was expecting black silk drapes and an expensive entertainment system. Instead his apartment is fairly modest with shutter blinds on the single window, a beige couch instead of hard, cold leather facing a medium-sized TV and a large bookcase tucked into the corner of the first room, filled to the brim with books.

Damon stops behind me and puts his hands on the collar of my jacket and starts to slowly pull it off me. I let him take it off and hang it up in the closest to the left of the doorway. I toe off my runners and walk to the couch, sitting on it and then pulling my legs underneath me.

Damon shrugs off his leather jacket and hangs it in the closet and takes his shoes off too. He walks around the back of the couch and sits on the side opposite of me and stares intently at me in his silence. I try to keep my eyes looking at anything but him, eventually though my eyes dart over to his. I freeze and I'm captivated. His ice blue eyes and so wide and full of _something _that I can't name for the life of me.

"Bella," he says my name on a whisper and the sound wraps around me, sending shivers down my spine.

"What am I doing here Damon?" I ask, both to him and myself. For all the pain Damon put me through, I should be running in the opposite direction, not towards him. But he still has the same effect on me and I never stopped loving him.

Damon reaches over and grabs both my hands in his. "You're here because I want to apologize for all the pain I've ever caused you. You're here because I want us to have another chance at this. A chance that I swear I won't screw up."

I look at him, confused. "Why do you want us to have another chance Damon? Is it because I wouldn't take any of your crap?"

"No, Bella." He shakes his head, "I never wanted to hurt you, I-"

"Really Damon? Then why did you bring me to Mystic Falls only to chase after your brother's girl? Why did you kiss Elena only to deny it multiple times when you got home?"

"I'm so-"

I look away from him, out the window where the city is buzzing with activity. "No, you don't get to talk now. Do you know how stupid I felt that day? Everyone told me to stay away because I'd end up with a broken heart but I ignored them. I believed that you wouldn't hurt me but you did in the end. Did I mean so little to you that you kissed Elena while dating me? Did you think that I would be so naïve to not see it? Or did you think that I was so broken I would be happy and thankful that someone wanted me to ignore it?"

"No Bella, of course no-"

I look back at Damon. "Well it seemed that way Damon." I take a breath and try to calm down. I ask softly, "Will you hurt me again like that if we get back together? Will I always be second best in your mind?"

Damon shakes his head quickly, "Bella you were never second best to me, you were the best thing that happened to me and I didn't see it. I was still hung up on the fact that Stefan could always get what he wanted and was always the better brother. I wanted to show that I was just as good, that I didn't need to be the second choice."

I shake my head slowly in awe of the fact that he doesn't see what I see in him. "Damon, I chose you first, I never wanted anyone else. You were my first and only choice and I loved you. You never needed to try to find that in Elena because I was there with you."

We sit in quiet for what seems like hours but can only be a few minutes. Damon is the one that breaks the silence again, "I don't mean to bring it back up but I need to know. What did Evil Alaric tell you the night before you left?"

I suck in a breath and avert my eyes to the floor. "I… He… Well he said… Alaric said that I knew better than to trust you and that I was a w-weak person that was only good for getting their heart b-broken again and a-again." I stutter out through shaky breaths, half of me still believes the words but I know Alaric didn't mean them. His alter ego just wanted to cause pain to the nearest person that was already hurt.

I glance up at Damon. The skin around his eyes and mouth tightens as his face hardens in anger. "You asked," I remind him and he flinches slightly.

"Bella, you have to know that those words aren't true. You are worth more than that, you just don't see it." He says softly, brushing a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"Look Bella," he continues, "I'm sorry for all the pain I ever caused you. I swear that it will never happen again, not on my account. I shouldn't have pushed you away like I did but you should know that I have always loved you and I still do."

I nod slowly, truly believing that Damon does love me and doesn't want to hurt me again. "I love you too Damon, I never stopped. I want to try again but if you betray my trust again, it will be the last time you ever see me." I threaten and Damon nods quickly, a large smile spreading across his face. "I mean it, you won't ever be able to find me again."

He leans in and captures my lips in a passionate kiss. His hands cup my jaw line, holding my face to his as my hands drift up into his hair at the back of his head. I twist and twirl my fingers around the silky strands before tugging gently. Damon moans softly into my mouth before pulling away reluctantly.

"Thank you Bella," he whispers, his forehead leaning against mine, our eyes still closed.

I smile softly, loving the warm feeling gathering in the pit of my stomach. I gently caress his cheek before softly kissing him again. I missed the simple act of kissing Damon and how fireworks seem to explode on my skin every time he touches me.

I never thought that I would get this second chance at real happiness again. Let alone it be with Damon, the one I was never going to stop loving. Sometimes though, you do get second chances. When you do, you grab onto them tightly and never let go. No matter what may come.

* * *

**AN: Thanks for reading my story! Now be ncie and leave a little review, please! Thanks!**


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